Here we go! Kristen and I have officially launched our Kickstarter campaign. If you aren’t familiar, it’s a platform creative types to raise much needed funds for things like; a documentary film, an art installation or as in our case a creative product launch.

We are finally ready and super excited for phase two of Tin Parade Vintage Party Goods. (which is to go wholesale with a brand new line) Take a look at our Kickstarter Campaign. We’ve got some awesome rewards for backers! You could be one of the first people to get the new designs!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1291657177/table-banners-for-your-parties-unique-concept

You have been so busy planning and buying, and cutting and gluing who knows what that you have forgotten one of the most important things for your child’s party…..flow.  (important for any party). I am an event planner and I do understand this comes much easier for me but you can also make your day MUCH simpler.

By making a timeline you will also take away a bunch of the stress you may be feeling in pulling it all off.  It’s like you always heard as a kid…the more you practice or study the easier it will be.  It’s the same with a  great party.  Take the time to sit…breathe…and think through the entire flow of the day from set up to tear down.  Once you are organized and have your to-do list organized…TRUST ME….you will actually enjoy your child’s party too.

Here is a sample timeline for a kids party:

_____ – fill in the blank lines with peoples names who will be helping you that day…oh yeah, say YES to help.

I want you to actually MAKE a timeline. I do it for each of my home parties. Here is one below and you can copy and switch out the info:

PARTY TIMELINE

WHO DOES WHAT:

SITE: Our home.

MUSIC: Bob…Joe…whoever is good with tunes and knows how to work your system so its not YOU!

FOOD: Okay this may be your domain however, put a sticky note on each dish as to what it is for and set them all on a table or washer/dryer till the time to fill them, than your helpers (i.e. girlfriends who know how much work it is to do a kids party) know what to do even if you are talking to a guest) (and please ask someone to do this before that day so they are expecting it and you don’t have to feel weird asking that day…you just need help with the food set up time, not a lot to ask of someone)

PHOTOS: Ask someone to own this. SOOOO often Mom or main caregiver is not in any of the photos. I am known to pick up peoples cameras unasked and just start shooting photos at their own party of them interacting with their kids and guests….but you shouldn’t even have to worry about taking all the photos of the cake cutting etc, you want to be IN THE MOMENT watching your darling child’s face light up all day.

CHARACTER CO: Have their check and gratuity already done and in an envelope ready to go so you can quickly, easily hand it over at the end of their stint. (yes gratuity is customary, usually $20-40)

MENU:

Chips, Guac, Salsa and Cheese ,crackers, grapes

Assorted gourmet Sausages, artisan breads/rolls, assorted gourmet mustards

Arugula Salad w/ shaved parmesan

Cous cous salad

Don’t worry I didn’t forget the kids, but I always speak to the adults as well

Hot dogs/buns

Baked beans

SCHEDULE

11:00 – ______ – goes to get ice (1 lb per person on cool day, 2 lbs per person on hot day)(first thing is ice down the bins of drinks. Layer your drinks so people don’t have to reach below ALL the ice to grab a drink…ice, then drinks, then ice, then drinks) You can also put a folded towel at the very bottom of the bin so you’ll have less water run off from condensation.

11:30 – IF you let your children watch TV this is a great time to cut yourself some slack and let them relax for a little bit in front of a good show. You will be able to think more clearly, get things done and they will need a little rest before all the hoopla. (If you limit TV as we do, save up your tv time for this moment, you won’t regret it)

12:00 – Put chips in bowls and out on buffet table. It will give people something to do when they first get there. (That way, the food can be brought out once everyone is there and not sit out for heat/flys.)

12:15 – Music on! (everyone forgets this important aspect of a party, music ties things together and softens awkward moments such as the quiet time for those who arrive first)

12:30 – INVITE TIME

1:00  – NOW bring the food out. (make them get a bit hungry, and please don’t forget that now days most parents stay for parties of small children so please feed them too)

1:30 – Character starts (or games or whatever you have planned for the meat in the middle, but have it start 45-min to and hour after the invite time so everyone is there and have it last an hour….that’s a good amount of time for kids to focus, more than that and they go into crazy zone and none of us want that now do we?)

2:30 – Cut the cake! (It’s important to bring people back together at different points in your party and make people connect)

3:00 – Pinata or not this is a good wrap up time…(meaning hand out the gift bags so they get the picture.)

Have fun. Don’t be pre-occupied with things being perfect. The goal is the guests/kids and your child have fun….not that things were perfect. Some of my best parties have had the best mishaps. The main thing that’s hard for us parents is to host AND be present.

You can also always turn to a Childrens Party Event Planner such as Stefanie Nieves of The Petite Soiree if you are in New Jersey.  We thank Stefanie for her continued support of Tin Parade Vintage Party Goods.

MY perfect grey paint

It’s a light, bright, happy grey. Exactly what I wanted.

I love to sew. It’s such a throwback.  Not many people I know do it. I think its creative and comforting. I love to make something with my own bare hands. Problem is…I’m terrible at it. Yep. I’ll admit. I am bad at it. Somehow the uneven lines and mis-steps do not distract from my joy of doing it. If you came to my house I may point out my painstakingly sewn shower curtain only to follow with “don’t look too closely at it.”

What am I saying? Get out there and sew? No. But get out there and do.  I think there’s nothing sweeter than an off pitch cracking voice that is belted out sheer love of life style.  Gotta love my mother in law as she passionatley and terribly sings you Happy Birthday with  no holds barred…that is precious.   Shouldn’t we all try a little sewing outside the lines?

I bought inexpensive white curtains from Ikea and then sewed a long blue stipe down the sides.

This outdoor fabric was pricey so I did white on the backs of the pillows.

My mom had this unused vintage Hawaiian fabric from the 60's that I died for. I finally figured out what I wanted to do with it. It was narrow so I added the blue all around with white stitching. Not an easy project, not perfect, not even close, but so happy I did it.

Biz How To:    Live The Dream

by Cat on January 5, 2011

by Designing Mom Ryan

I am a mother.   I am business owner of Savoir Flair. I am living my dream.  For me it’s about being around for the moments in life that matter most but still listening to my own creative needs.     As a business owner I make my own rules.   I set my hours.   Therefore, I can help in my son’s kindergarten class and I can take my daughter to story hour at the library.   I am lucky.   I know that. I wish this for so many women.

So often other women will say to me “I wish I could do that, but I just don’t think I ever could.”  If you are one of those women, I say, you can.    Yes, it’s scary and it’s a leap, sometimes a big one.   And I know this sounds cliché but if you don’t try you’ll never be able to succeed. I have quite an interest in this subject.   I can talk about it forever.   It has been such an amazing experience for me and my family.  I have flexibility, the creative outlet I need, and I can happily contribute financially to our lives.   If I hadn’t started …just a bit at a time….I’d be the same as you…thinking about it…but not acting on it…that’s the only difference between us. Really. I have no business degree.   I jumped…..leaped off and learned as I went.   There was likely a better, safer, smarter way. But I don’t care. I just DID IT as they say.

There is a woman I think you all should know about.   I wish I’d met her as I was starting my business.   Do you ever hear people say things like “she is such a force” or “she is that salt of the earth kind of person”?  Well…those are both true for Nada Jones of LTD 365. That stands for Live the Dream 365, meaning…every day…live your dream…everyday.  Nada’s enthusiasm is contagious. She makes you feel like it’s not as scary as you once thought.   After late night coffee shop sessions with Nada about how I could take my business to the next level I seem to float away…excited for the next day…she somehow creates this clear path in front of you.   I’ll call it Nada’s Yellow Brick Road…only the Emerald City is whatever you want it to be. YOUR dream.

I am so thrilled to be the event coordinator for the first annual LTD EXPO coming up Jan. 13 in Pasadena, CA.    If you are able to get to Pasadena for this one day event, you will find a line up of speakers who will inspire and educate. You will find a group of women waiting to connect and relate….to you.   You will find the tools and resources you need to stop thinking about your dream and start living it.  If you attend, please come up and introduce yourself.   I will be the one with the clipboard and the headset and I’ll be excited for your leap into the amazing unknown.

Aunt Helen’s Icebox Butter Rolls
• 1 package active dry yeast /2 T warm water /Dissolve yeast in water
• Add 2 c warm milk, ½ c sugar, 1 beaten egg,1 t salt, 3 c flour
• Beat til smooth
• Add ¾ c melted butter, 2 ½ cups more flour
• Mix (dough will be sticky-do not kneed),Place dough in greased bowl
• Turn dough over after placing in bowl so top is greased
• Cover/refrigerate overnight,In morning push down center of dough
• Cut dough in half,Roll 1 half into Triangle
• Cut 12 small Triangles out of large one
• Roll pieces wide to small like a crescent roll
• Place rolls pointed side down on greased baking sheet
• Brush w/ melted butter,Cover w/ damp cloth
• Let rise to doubled in warm place (1/2 – 1 hr.)
• Repeat w/other half
• Bake @ 350 15 – 20 min.,Brush w/melted butter

Who’s with me?

Speaking of being nice during the holidays…this Thanksgiving my family played a little lighthearted TOUCH FOOTBALL (yeah Amy!) with  Kristen Gara’s family (my other Tin Parade half).  Here they are looking smug….just before they creamed us.  Now that wasn’t NICE!

Kristen doesn’t know how to log into our blog to change anything I write here…so if I wanted to I could write things like…Gara Schmara! …..or  Gara Gara bo-bara cheat-ara! and she really couldn’t do anything about it…how’s it feel now GARA!!!!

See…doesn’t that nice feel good.

( :

The Gara half of Tin Parade with their game faces on.

Thanks for sharing these. We love that you used the baseball hats as the favor holders. Looks awesome.

Tin Parade Vintage Party Goods for Your Perfect Holiday Fete

biodegradable, decor, entertaining, green recyclable, parties

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Starre Vartan is founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick and author of The Eco-Chick Guide to Life (St. Martin’s Press). A green living expert, she is managing editor of Greenopia and a contributor to The Huffington Post.

This is the our latest post to the Designing Moms Blog as contributing writers.

At least in my mind that makes sense. When I see children having lemonade stands it makes me feel happy and peaceful and sort of washes away all the crazyness of the day.  I realize that’s a big expectation of a little ol lemonade stand.  But truthfully what it represents is all good.  It started because my son said he wanted to earn money so he could buy something he wanted. …hard work= money…not a bad concept to learn at a young age…saving to buy something you want…again…only a good concept to learn…especially in this day and age.  Add in my Tin Parade partner Kristen Gara’s kids and it becomes a neighborhood entrepreneurial project of the best kind.   The kids excitedly worked together to set up the stand…sell the lemonade (yelling out to passersby “LEMONADE FOR SALE!”.…and even serve the lemonade.   The kids came together for a common purpose.  At the same time, the neighborhood converged on this tree lined street to share in the happiness that a lemonade stand creates…and share a glass of sweetness….visitors stayed and played…and their craziness too was swept away …on a late summers day in these modern times.

The sign was made from a old piece of wood from a fence a neighbor tore down.